After a new computer tower, Vista or XP which is best? I have a XP now with 512RAM and 80HD, I have £500 And want something bigger but not sure what to get, as I take lots of photos
2007-01-31 09:54:11 · 13 answers · asked by Harry 1 in Computers & Internet ➔ Hardware ➔ Laptops & Notebooks
you dont mention the processor
but I think you would get a usefull benefit on your existing machine with more memory and a bigger disk (Ive not specced any PC's with less than 2 Gb memory & 120 GB disks for around 2..3 years. I suspect you will get a big improovement in XP performance by increasing the meory tto around 2.. 4 GB
Buying Windows Vista will not give you much more than bragging rights... you have an existing oipoerating system that is fine.. XP is fairly stable and robust.. why change
if you buy a new PC then you are buying other bits and peices you dont actually need (eg a new monitor, or new display card)
if you have an exisitng DVD drive or Cd writer then you dont need a new one
what you could consider is putting a new motherboard, processor and more memory
There is the additional issue of why buy a new piece of softaware.. Vista has just come out.. undoubtably there are some bugs to shake out.
If I was buying a PC today I would spec the highest machine I could.. but not use Vista... Id use XP (why its less of a resource hog... in say around 5..10 years time Visat will fly with reasonably priced hardware.... but right now Im beting it probably need s dual core 3 Ghz 4GB memory machine to work well.. inj a few years that''l be cheap.. right now its not.
2007-01-31 10:09:12 · answer #1 · answered by Mark J 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
On the basis that you only use a fraction of all the whistles and bells that each new computer system offers to make you pay even more for soft- and hardware, I would stick with XP. It will probably be supported for at least 5 years and has everything I need including storing all the family photos. When I bought my current laptop I immediately invested in extra RAM to take it up to 1024. The way things seem to be going I would also invest in hard drive capacity(internal and/or external/wireless-linked) not only for photos but also music and films. My ultimate system, money permitting would be wireless laptop linked wirelessly to mega-hard-drive in the attic (security), printer, TV flatscreen, printer/scanner/fax. This also limits the amount of cable spagetti in the house. Also I wouldn't be lured by the cheaper processors like Celeron - better to invest in the latest Intel. Hope this helps.
2007-01-31 18:26:02 · answer #2 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
Do not buy any computers from DELL. They suck. I recommend getting one from HP, because they have really good products for reasonable prices. You can't run vista with only 512MB RAM, because vista needs that much to run. Get 1 gig of RAM. Also, if you take a lot of photos, then 80 gig is ok, but stuff like photos, lets see, 100 gig recommended.
Good luck!
2007-01-31 18:02:24 · answer #3 · answered by xFrozen 4 · 1⤊ 0⤋
For £500 I would wait and continue to save.
Vista is better than XP however for £500 you will not get a very good experience from it.
I would save up at least £ 1000 and get a really good amazing system.
Dell is really helpful.
2007-01-31 17:57:37 · answer #4 · answered by Chεεrs [uk] 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Vista being the new operating system I'd stick with XP. You can add an external hard drive and more than double your space with a couple hundred dollars.
2007-01-31 17:59:00 · answer #5 · answered by Marissa 6 · 0⤊ 0⤋
I would stay stick with XP for a while and wait to see what bugs pop up. You can buy computers that come with free upgrades to vista.
2007-01-31 17:58:16 · answer #6 · answered by brentonbiggs 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
it all varys on what you are looking for vista is new i would wait til all the bugs are out my opion well something bigger as in a new hard drive you talking about that hold tha room on the pc of all the files memory helps performace if you want reviews on pcs or anything else here is the link
2007-01-31 18:00:26 · answer #7 · answered by joe G 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
I would not bother with Vista untill Vista SP1 is launched at least
2007-01-31 18:03:20 · answer #8 · answered by Cybercat 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
your actual specs sound ok,if i were you i would invest in 2 x 160gb hard drives for massive storage capabilities(http://www.misco.co.uk/applications/SearchTools/item-details.asp?EdpNo=21147&CatId=0),this will cost around £80
then i would upgrade your graphics to something like a radeon x1950pro(http://www.misco.co.uk/applications/SearchTools/item-details.asp?EdpNo=265435&CatId=0) this has 512mb of memory and will bring your photos to life,its also a brilliant gaming card,awsome speed
this would still leave you around £250 which you could shop around for a 21" tft monitor to show off your photos
trust me,its much more fun upgrading than getting a new p.c and having to throw your other p.c away,especially if its still ok,like yours
good luck
2007-01-31 18:06:19 · answer #9 · answered by brianthesnail123 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
You need more hardrive for photos, and you need 1GB of ram for Vista, but I recommend it.
2007-01-31 17:58:06 · answer #10 · answered by startrektosnewenterpriselovethem 6 · 0⤊ 0⤋